Restaurant review: The Laughing Gravy, Southwark

Shannon Denny discovers Laughing Gravy can offer delicious dishes as well as bring a smile to your face



Laughing Gravy is the title of a Laurel and Hardy film about their dog, Laughing Gravy. No canines nor slapstick reside inside the recently re-launched restaurant of the same name, but nevertheless it raises a smile. The 50-seater spot is slightly off the beaten track favoured by visitors to the Young Vic, Old Vic, Union Theatre and new Waterloo Theatre, but it’s worth discovering – especially when the renowned Anchor & Hope is packed.


Chef Michael Facey has worked alongside John Torode and Mark Hix, and so he has a firm handle on modern British cuisine. In a fine balance of proportions, the salmon, watercress and new potato salad is heartier than it sounds. Its components come not regimentally laid out but blended instead with the lightest touch. The salmon is particularly notable, heated in oil only long enough to seal the outside to a gold, sweet crisp. The homemade mayo dressing on new potatoes is a key player too.


If my selection suggests restraint was the order of the day, let me tell you about the chips. These were not ordinary; they are worth walking on coals for. Mr Facey could teach a masterclass in their making; I imagine his secrets are potatoes that aren’t too floury and the cleanest oil. A sprinkle of salt, vinegar or ketchup was not even needed.


G&T posset was the finale. Served in a generous glass tumbler, this shares something in common with key lime pie. However the crust is really a crumble on top, made from sweet and very lightly toasted nuts. Tart limejuice – so much more emphatic than lemon – really fizzes on the tongue while the hint of juniper pays homage to a true British classic.

Shannon Denny

The Laughing Gravy
154 Blackfriars Road SE1 8EN; 020 7998 1707; Lunch for two around £30, excluding drinks
www.thelaughinggravy.co.uk

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